GIFs are one of the oldest image formats used on the web. Throughouttheir history, they have served a huge variety of purposes, fromfunctional to entertainment. Now, 25 years after the first GIF wascreated, they are experiencing an explosion of interest and innovationthat is pushing them into the terrain of art. In this episode of OffBook, we chart their history, explore the hotbed of GIF creativity onTumblr, and talk to two teams of GIF artists who are evolving the forminto powerful new visual experiences.